The Nuclear Power Plants of the Past, Present, and Future

Nuclear power could be facing its demise, now that political opposition and cheap natural gas and blocking investment in new plants. Could new low-input small modular reactors save the industry? We take a look at the new wave of nuclear power.

What We’ve Been Using

What We’ve Been Using

Nuclear power plants continue to be decommissioned. If we don't replace them, nuclear's share of power production plunges.

Reactor Type: Westinghouse Four-Loop

Capacity: 1200 megawatts

Reactor Vessel Size:

Diameter: 150 feetHeight: 205 feet

Build Cost: $5339 per kilowatt

Build Time: 10 to 15 years

Safety: Requires operators and power to shut down plant safely.

Deployment: 1970s to 1980s

Takeaway: Aging power plants could begin to cease production as their licenses expire. Utilities compensate mostly by burning coal and natural gas, which means more greenhouse gases dumped into the atmosphere until new reactors start operations.

What We're Building

What We're Building

New reactors are being built to keep power production at current levels, but production will not grow with demand.

Reactor Type Westinghouse AP1000

Capacity: 1117 megawatts

Reactor Vessel Size:

Diameter: 142 feetHeight: 229 feet

Build Cost: $6000 per kilowatt

Build Time: Three years

Safety: Passive safety features rely on gravity and natural circulation to shut down automatically during an emergency.

Deployment: Under construction in Georgia and South Carolina, scheduled for completion in 2017 and 2018.

Takeaway: Five new reactors slated to come online within the next decade will make up for 2013’s losses, says the U.S. Energy Information Administration. After that, it predicts that production will remain steady out to 2040 with no new reactors and no shutdowns.